Today we are going to talk about three extremely large system cases that demonstrate dramatically different approaches to internal components organization. The interesting thing is that all three of them are targeted for the most demanding and sophisticated computer users.

Test Results

First, let’s view the results for each system case and check out the cooling of HDDs depending on their position.

The HDDs were positioned as follows in the Cooler Master Cosmos 1000: the first HDD was in the center of the top tier. The second, third and fourth HDDs were in the bottom tier, from left to right.

Cooler Master Cosmos 1000

So, the company’s engineers have been right: the case copes with our four HDDs which are themselves not of a cold variety. Their temperature is not exactly comfortable, yet it is not very high even under full disk load.

As for the noise factor, the thick front panel and the sound insulation do help keep the noise low. The rattling of the HDDs is quiet while the system fans and the blower of our graphics card were almost inaudible at all. We only heard a distinct low-frequency noise from the case when there was a high load on the HDDs. Perhaps the HDD rack is not rigid enough to cope with our HDDs although it is unclear why the noise is in low frequencies.

Corsair Obsidian 800D (min)

First we decided to test the Corsair case with four HDDs in its top rack and setting its fan speed to minimum. This produced good results. The HDDs were cooled properly although the temperature data suggest that the HDDs, especially the two in the center, would appreciate more ventilation.

It is all right about noise. The 140mm fans rotating at 650rpm cannot be heard at all. The thick front panel keeps the noise low: the HDDs’ rattle was softer than usual.

Next, we moved two HDDs (the third and fourth ones) into the bottom rack and set the remaining ones with a gap and increased the fan speed to maximum.

Corsair Obsidian 800D (max)

So, with the fan working at 1000rpm, the HDDs feel more comfortable. The HDDs in the bottom rack don’t have any dedicated fan but feel all right, too.

The noise remains within comfortable limits, especially from the thick front panel. If you bend down over the case, you can hear the fans through the vents, but this noise can only irritate the most fastidious of users.

Lian Li TYR PC-X2000 (min)

In the Lian-Li enclosure we placed two HDDs in adjacent bays of each rack. The HDDs are numbered from top to bottom and from right to left.

Even at the minimum speed of all system fans, this case delivers excellent cooling. The HDDs located in the separate compartment, right in the way of a stream of air, feel just excellent.

Unfortunately, we are not that pleased with the noisiness of this computer enclosure. While the 80mm fans at the back panel, rotating at 1200rpm, are silent, the 140mm fans, even at a low speed of 800rpm, produce a characteristic hiss of air that is passing through the intricate front panel. The HDDs were the main source of noise, though. It seems that the insufficiently rigid rack and the overall poor acoustics of the enclosure combine to amplify the sound of the moving read/write heads.

Lian Li TYR PC-X2000 (max)

The case becomes really audible at the maximum speed of its 140mm fans. It is not really noisy, but far from silent, too. Interestingly, the increased speed does not lead to a lower temperature: our configuration just doesn’t need that much air for cooling.